Coupling-centering mechanism.



x. l'. H.Y MILLIKEN.l

A couPLmG cENTEmNG MEcnAmsM.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. lh 1.916.

Patented tm 30,1917.

ISAAC H. MILLIKEN, oF ASPINWALL,

PENNSYLVANIA. ASSIGNOR THE McCONWAY- TGRLEY COMPANY, F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORLTIONQI PENN- SYLVANIA. y

Specicatlon of Letters Patent.

v l COUPLING-CEN TERIN G MCHANISM.

Patented Jan. 3o, 1,917.

Application lled Lugult 1,7,'1916. Serial No. 115,384.`

To aZZ 'whom #may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC H.r MILLIKEN a citizen oi 'the United States, residing at Aspinwall, ,in the county of Alleghen and State of Pennsylvania, have inven certain new and useful` Improvements in Coupling-Centering Mechanism; and I do hereby declare the followin v to be a full, clear,

and exact description o` the invention, such as will enable 'others skilled in the art to, which it appertains to make and use thesamc.

My invention relates to that class of car couplers which are mounted on Vrailway vehicles so as to be capable of swinging or moving laterallyI when the cnrs to which they Aare applied pass around curves in the track. 4-

thc invention is to provide av simple and eiiicient .mechanism enab g the tramman whlle standing at the side ofthe car to shift the coupler laterally so as to position it as may Aof my invention is to provide'means for the purpose indientedxthat may be-also employed to etfan unlocking ofe the coupler.' Minor objects of the invent1on, effectedby 'special combinations andfeatures f'e'lemental construction, will hereinaftern pearvr and be particularly omted out inthe c aims.l

In the drewin "i strating theV vreferred Inode in which. contemplate cpp ying the principle of my invention, the scopewhereof is pointed out in the claims, Figure 1 1s a front elevation of a laterally/movable car coupler combined with devices embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a detail view; partly in side elevation and partly in section,` illusl trating a. portion. of the mechanism shown section of one of in Fig; 1. Fig. v3 is acletail side elevation of the mechanism. Fig. 4 isadetail horizontal y the pocket-forming parti:-

\ The coupler 1 which isillustrated in the drawings is of a. Well known typethat is `mounted upon'a railway car so as tol be capable pf Swingin or moving laterally with respect. thereto. t is provided with apiv- Generally stated, 'the principal object of oted knuckle 2 `and with a vertically movable lock 3 adapted to restrain outward rotation oi the knuckle. The lock 3 may be actuated to perform unlocking and knuckleopening movements by means of a rotatable lifter 4 whose outer cud extends into an opening in the lower end of the lock and whose'inner end is provided with pintles i which are supported in hook-like bearings 6 formed on a bracket 7 that is rigidly sccured to the coupler. At its rear end the lock actuating member 4 isprovidcd between its` pintlcs wlth a pocketor recess 8 which is adapted Vto receive the upwardly extending' inner ends t) oi rods or bars l() that rcspec tively extend ,in opposite directions toward the sides of, the car. By rotating either of the rodsjalO in the proper direction the lock actuating", member 4 may be rotated up; wardly to praise the lock B'to unlocked .position or to cause .it to perform the extended unlocking movement required for the operation 'of knuckle-opeuing mechanism with which couplers are generally provided. The

special mechanism herein illustrated fecunlocking the coupler is fully described in mv rPatent No. 1,184,116, granted May e3, 1916.l

ployed if desi1'ed. n u

Inorder thatthc trainman may shift the coupler laterally to any desired position Vwh ile standing at either' side of" ferrd to employgtwo operating rods or bars 10, one extending toward one' side .of thecar and the other toward the other side, each rod being provided with its own operating mechanism; but it will be understood that only one rod and corrcspondingioperating mechanism may be employed. Since the devices foractunting the rods 10 only one of them has been illustrated, andbut one will be described. i

Movably connected to the outer 4end of each rod 10 is an operating lever l1 the the car, it is prc areidentical,

provide a handle12 that the trninman may grasp when actuating the mechanism. As

shown in the drawings,l the movable eonnection between the rod 10 and lever 11 is preferably a pivotal' one and may be conveniently formed by fashioning the outer end of the rod with jaws 13, which receive the lever 11 between them, a bolt 11 bein' passed through suitable apertures in said aws and lever. In the operation of shiftii, g the-couple'r laterally in one directionthe upper end of the o erating lever engages and fulc'rums` upon a ulcrum member 15 mounted on the car, and, accordingly, to Iinsure1 fe-llicient bearing en agement fof the lever and fulcrum mem er during such operation, the

u dper end of the leverll is preferably proi v1 ed with a rounded head 16 winch-is adapted to engage and rock upon thefulcrum member.

The, upper portion of the fulc'rum member 15 is provided with a plurality of forwardly extending spaced projections 17 which form walls of pockets 18 thatare adapted to' receive the upper end ofthe operating levier 11. One or another of these projections or walls 17,- depending upon which of the pockets 18ithe upper-end of the lever occuples, serves as a fulcrumy orI bearing for the lever to rock upon. To pre vent the upper end of the lever from slipping 'out'of the pocket 18 when the coupler 1s beingshifted, the walls or projections 17A maybe interiorly shouldered, asa-t 19; and to prevent the upper end of the lever from eatchingvupon the outer edges of the walls 17 such outer edges 'are preferably sharp--l cned or beveled,.` as shown'at 20 'in Fig. 4. As a further means'for preventing the lever 11 from'catchin'g ufponv the outer. edges of the walls of the; pockets, the inner face ofthe. rounded head 16 of the lever' may be formed- With a tapering 'or lu 21, as shown in'Fig. 3.

elow the point of pivotal connectionof lconical boss or the leverf 11'and rod 10 the"ful6r'\1m mehr ber 15 is provided with another series of.v forwardly extending lugs orfprojectionsy -whioh are adapted to be engagedl by the' lower portion,- of fthe lever and to; formj fulcraj for the latter.- kTheselprojeet-ions "or filiera, as shown in' Figs. 1 and-,3,are pref-- erably formed as cylindrical .bars --Or rodsl 22 between adjacent ones of which the leverrisadaptedto enter. Byrforming th'e" i projections 22 with curved faces the opera- I The rods is somewhat facilitated.

brackets. The brackets, vwhich are prefer'.-

`ably made integral with the'respectivewul-'j crum: Vmembers 15,--si1pport the operating.-;`- vrods or,v members 10`in suchmanner that.

,fg-they maw/turn, swing and slidefree'ly.

'tion of thelever when in contact therewith is standing, he grasps the handle 12 of the l lever and moves 1t forwardly until the upper end 16 ofthe leverenters the middle pocket 18' of the 'fulcrum member. An extended movement of the leverll, after it has thus vbeen brought into operative'relation to the fulcrum member, causes a rotation of the adjacent rod 10 suiiicient `to unlock the cou ler 1 and to effect the rotation of the nuckle 2 thereof to 'open postiom'ii" the coupler is provided with knuckle-opening mechanism and is not at that `time coupled to another coupler. lVith the upper end of the lever in the pocket of the fulcrum member, the operator pulls laterally upon the lever which, by fulcruming upon one of the adjacent walls 'or fuk-ra. 17, thus transmits a corresponding pull to the rod 10 connected to the operating lever. The coupler is thus caused to -ulove toward the operator.

Should 'extreme 'lateral movement of the couplerbe desired or" should the leverage obtainable when the lever 11 islvin one of the pockets 18'be insuflieient" to permit the trainman to readily shift the coupler to the required position, the coupler 1 may be after which the'upper end of the lever may be transferred to the appropriate adjacent pocket, thus affording better leverage for inducing A:furtherv movement of the coupler.

When the coupler isl to be lshifted laterally away from the-operator, the handle 12 of the operating lever may, if desired, be operated'as .heretofore described to first unlock the: coupler, :afterwhioh it may be iwung rearwardly and upwardly until the ower4 wo o the fulcrum. projections "or bars 22;

f utit isvto beiun'derstood that the lever 11 may be brought :into operative relation with `the fulcrum projections22. withoutunlock- 'moved laterallyv a portion of the distance,

rtionof the lever 11 passes vbetween lngthe coupler.; Withthe' lever vheld in this.

position-*the* trainman' by pulling laterally upon the handle v12 vis enabled to pushupon fthe.adjacent-jmd;10, thereby `causing thecoupler 11. .tobeshifted'toward the side of 'the ,car oppositefthatfat whichv Ahe is stationed. Inthis' 'operation the lever '11 fulcrums upon one or-y another of theprojecs tions'22 in a.manner.simi-larto that already are preferably supportedf.

describcd. .,I Not ronly may the trainman shift the]couplerlaterallyin either direction by inningMwmlb lawn'. the lever 11. but mmnY .ll-lsf Shift the, coupler laterally in either-direction bypushin inwardly upon it.

In 'the form of .lock re ,easingA mechanism that h i1s b"een :chosen for purposes of illus-- tration the vopenin .8 in the lock actuating 'member 4 is gf'fsu cient width to yallow the lrods-.10 tobe turned through the angle re# v quired topermit-thelevers 11 to engage the .When .the coupler 'isirequired'to be sl1i i't- 1 ed from its central position'laterallyto-A lowerprojections 221m the fnlerum memward the-side'of the car where theloperntgr'- tion; or isfresting on the tail o the knuckle while the knuckleis in open position.

I claim: 1. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a coupler mounted on a` railway car so as to be capable of moving laterally, of means for shifting said coupler laterally, said means involving a lever, and'means operatively connecting said lever to said coupler, the body portions of said lever on opposite sides of the `point of attachment of the lever to the means for operatively connecting said lever with the coupler being respectively adapted to fulcrum on independent ulerum points.

2. In mechanism of the character .indi- `cated, the `combination with a coupler i cated, the combination with a coupler,v

mounted on a railway car so as to be capable of moving laterallv,`of means for shifting saidv coupler laterally, said means involving a fulcrum, a lever, and means operatively connecting saidl lever to the coupler, said lever being rotatable in tlie same direction to shift said coupler laterally/in either direction.

3. In mechanismr of the character indimounted on a railway car so as to be capable of moving laterally, of means for shifting said coupler laterally, said means involving a lever, means operatively connecting sai lever to the coupler, and a fulcrum member affording a plurality of fulcra, for said lever, said` fiilcra eing arranged in a plurality of series. i A4. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination with a; coupler mounted on a railway car so as to be capable of moving laterally, of means for shifting. ysaid VcouplerV laterally in either direction,

said fiilcruni member'by rotation in either direction.

6. In mechanism ofthe character indicated, the combination with a' coupler mounted on a railway car solas to be capable y of means for shiftingr of moving laterally, said coupler laterally in either direction, said means involving a lever, means operatively connecting said lever and coupler and ada ted to unlock said coupler, and 'means a ording va fulcriim for said lever,

said lever being rotatable .in the same direction to shift said coupler in either lateral direction.

7. In mechanism of the character indicated, the combination'y with a coupler v mounted on a railway car so as to be capable of moving laterally, of means for shitting said coupler latera ly, said means involving a lever, means operativelyconnecting said lever and coupler, and a fulcriim member mounted on the car and adapted `to coperate with said lever, said fulcrnm member being provided with a 4series of projections adapted to enga e one end of said* lever and being also provi edwith a further series of projections adapted to engage said lever.

8. In mechanism of the characterl indi.`

cated, the combination with a coupler mounted on a railway car so as to be capable of moving laterally, of means for shifting said coupler'laterally, said means involving a lever, means operatively connecting said .lever and coupler, and a fulcrum `member for cooperating with said lever, said fnlcriim member being provided with-,a pro- 'jection forming a fulcriim adapted to be engaged b3* said lever, said projecting having a curve surface forming a bearing for said lever.

9. In mechanism of the character indicated, mounted on a railway of moving laterally, the coupler laterally,

car so as to be capable of means for shifting said means involving `a lever, a rod operatively connecting said 10o lever' and coupler, and a fulcrum member adapted to coperate with said lever, said fiilcrum member being' provided with a: series of pockets adapted to receive the upper end of said lever and being also provided with a series of projections adapted the combination with a coupler.r

to engage said lever below itsv point of connection to said rod. In testimony whereof I'atlix my signature.

Isaac H. MiLLiKEN. 

